Feeler mechanism for looms



I. SNOW FEELER MECHANISM'FOR LOOMS 2 Sheets-Shed 1 Filed Jan. 12 1924 2: .1 uww ATTORNEY Oct. 7 1924. 1,511,18lx

I. SNOW FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 12 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTok/vf Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

UNITED STATES en n PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC SNOW, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T DRAIPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE,

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Application filed January 12, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC SNOW, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings repre senting like parts. a

This invention relates to feeler mechanism for looms, and more particularly to feeler mechanisms of the side swipe type.

In this type of feeler mechanism, should the feeler accidentally slip or slide along the filling when a Working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, a premature filling replenishment occurs, and a filling carrier is ejected while it still contains a working supply of filling.

Animportant feature of the present invention, therefore, consists of novel locking means which prevents the untimely action of the feeler and permits the side swipe feeler to move along the filling carrier or bobbin only after the filling has become nearly exhausted.

The above and other features of the present invention and novel combination of parts will be made clear from the following description and accompanying drawingsof one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a feeler mechanism embodying the present invention and in position to determine the condition of the filling within the shuttle on a detecting beat.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the shuttle showing the feele-r engaging a working supply of filling.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the action of the feeler mechanism of the present invention when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the action of the feeler mechanism when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat.

It has not been deemed necessary in the drawings in this case, nor in the present specification, to disclose the filling replen- Serial No. 685,917.

ishing mechanism or the train of mechanism which is under the control of the side swipe movement of the feeler to effect re plenishment of filling, because such mechanisms are old and well known. Such train ofmechanism may be of usual type such for instance as shown in the patent to Edward S. Stimpson, No. 1,309,226, July 8th, 1919.

The feeler stand 1 is adjustably secured to the supporting bracket 2 by means such as the bolt 8 which passes through a slot 4 in the feeler stand, and the bracket 2 is adjustably secured to a laterally extending portion 5 of the loom frame 6 by a bolt 7. Upon the feeler stand 1 is mounted the feeler 8 which is shown as of the inclined type of side swipe feeler.

The feeler 8 has a toothed filling engaging end 9 and extends frontwardly through a controller or slide 10 having aslot 11 somewhat larger than the dimensions of the feeler which extends through it. The front portion of the feeler extends through a rocking hearing 12 pivotally supported at 13 on the feeler stand. The controller slide 10 through which the feel-er 4 stands is movable laterally of the feeler stand in a suitable guideway 1 1. The controller or slide 10 is connected by the rod or transmitter 15 with the train of mechanism for controlling replenishment of filling.

The feeler 8 has secured thereto the bridge-piece 16 the side arms of which may conveniently bear upon the surface 17 of the feeler stand and support the feeler as it is moved toward and from the front of the loom. A lug 18 is connected to the bridgepiece 16 and is adapted to engage a resetting cam 19. A spring 20 interposed between the pivotal support 13 and the bridgep-iece 16 normally acts to hold the feeler yieldingly in its rearward position. The parts thus far described are or may be substantially the same as the similar parts shown and described in the Stimpson patent above mentioned.

The lay 21 is provided with an opening 22 in its front wall which registers with an opening 23 in the adjacent wall of the shuttle 24:, and the shuttle 24 contains the usual filling carrier or bobbin 25 on which the filling is wound, and the feelei' 8 as fully described in the Stimpson patent, is adapted to feel through the side opening 23 of the shuttle to ascertain the condition of the filling on each detecting beat.

Mounted for sliding movement toward and from the rear of the loom is the feeler lock, in the present instance shown as a hunter 26. The hunter 26 may be mounted in different positions relative to the feeler 8 and is shown as supported above the feeler. The front portion of the hunter 26 has a round stem 27 that slides through a stud 28 mounted upon the feeler stand, and the rear portion of the hunter preferably is noncircular in cross-section as shown and slides in a correspondingly shaped slot formed in the bracket 29 which is secured by screws 30 to the plate 31 that covers the slot 14. The hunter 26 is urged rearwardly by a spring 32 coiled about the stem 27 and one end of which rests against the stud 28 while the other end abuts against a shoulder at the inner end of the stem 27, and move ment of the hunter in a rearward direction is arrested by a shoulder 33 of the hunter that strikes against the bracket 29.

Means is provided between the feeler 8 and the feeler lock or hunter 26 for preventing movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle on a detecting beatwhen a working supply of'filling' is present, and for releaslng the feeler when the filling has reached a predetermined degree of exhaustion. This means may be variously constructed, but in the embodiment shown the hunter 26 is provided with an enlarged portion 34 in which is formed a transversely extending slot 35, and in one wall of the slot 35 is formed a notch 36. A projection shown, as a in 37 extends upwardly from the feeler 8 1nto the slot 35. The arrangement is such that the projection 37 normally engages the notch 36 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and holds the feeler locked to the hunter so that the feeler cannot move laterally to call re lenishment when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle.

When the filling has reached a condition of near approach to substantial exhaustion it is desirable to move the parts to an unlocking position upon a detecting heat so that the feeler may partake of its side swipe movement when the filling becomes substantially exhausted. This is accomplished by providing the hunter with a rearwardly extending end 38 that is positioned, in the construction shown, to engage a wall of the shuttle on a detecting beat when the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined degree. The arrangement is such that when a substantial amount of filling is present in the shuttle the feeler will not enter the shuttle far enough to allow the hunter end 38 to engage the shuttle, but when the filling reaches a nearly exhausted condition the engagement of the hunter 26 with the shuttle serves to move the notch 36 out of engagement with the projection so that the feeler may partake of its side swipe movement as shown in Fig. 5,

In the construction shown the feeler 8 moves frontwardly along a path inclined to the hunter 26 and the notch 36 is therefore made somewhat larger than the projection 37 to allow for a slight lateral movement of the projection as the feeler moves in its inclined path. By providing a closed slot 35 in which the projection 37 travels the parts cannot become disengaged.

It is desirable to provide means by which 1 the parts may be adjusted relatively, and to this end, the construction shows the feeler 8 provided with a tip 39 that is ad justable lengthwise of the feeler. The feeler tip is slidably mounted upon the feeler between the spaced flanges 40 and is secured in the desired position of adjustment by a bolt 41 mounted in an elongated slot 42.

After the feeler has partaken of its side swipe movement as shown in Fig. 5 and as the lay goes back, the lug 18 will engage the resetting cam 19 and move the feeler laterally to its normal feeling position. This lateral'movement will move the projection 37 alon the slot 35 into the notch 36 to lock the feeler from premature side swipe movement. 7

What is claimed is 1.. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the Shuttle to effect replenishment of filling, a hunter, a pin and slot connection permanently uniting the feeler and hunter constructed and arranged to permit movement of the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle only when the pin and slot are alined in a transverse direction by relative movement of the hunter and feeler in a frontward direction on a detecting beat.

2. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination, a feeler mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle to effect replenishment of filling, a hunter having a laterally extending slot provided with a notch, a pin secured to the feeler and normally engaged with the said notch on detecting beats when a working supply of filling is in the shuttle and adapted to he disengaged from the notch and positioned in the transversely extending slot when the filling approaches a condition of substantial exhaustion.

3. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising in combination a feeler element mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle to effect replenishment of filling, a hunter element adjacent the feeler, one of said elements having a laterally extending slot provided with a 'zontal plane, one. of said parts having a laterally extending slot and a locking recess or notch and the other having a pin or projection normally engaged with looking recess or notch until the filling approaches a predetermined degree of exhaustion ona detecting beat, and thereupon being positioned in the laterally extending slot to permit movement of the feeler to initiate replenishment of fillin when that in the shuttle is sub-exhauste 5; In a feeler mechanism for looms. the combination of a sideswipe feeler mounted I for movement in a horizontal plane, 'a hunter mounted for movement towards and "from the front of the 100m in a different horizontal plane, one of said parts having a laterally extending slot and a locln'ng recess or notch and the other having a pin or projection normally engaged with looking recess or notch until the filling approaches a predetermined degree of exhaustion on a detecting beat, and thereupon being positioned in the laterally extending slot to permit movement of the feeler to initiate replenishment of filling when that in the shut- ,tle is substantially exhausted, and a feeler tip adjustably connected to the feeler rearward of the slot and pin connection between ment along the filling carrier by the front ward pressure upon it when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a bunter mounted above the feeler, one of said parts havin a laterallyextending slot and locking notc into which extends a pin on the other part to lock the feeler from premature movement along the filling carrier by the frontward pressure until the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat and thereupon freeing the feeler to movement along the filling carrier, and means actuated by the feeleron detection of substantial exhaustion to effect replenishment of 7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a side swipe feeler supported for movement toward the front of the loom in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle by the frontward premure of a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat, a. feeler lock, connections between the fe'eler and feeler lock comprising a portion upon one provided with a laterally extending slot having a notch in a wall of the slot and a projection upon the other extending into said slot to travel 'lengthwise'thereof, and held in said notch to lock the feeler from moving longitudinally of the shuttle when a substantial amount of filling is present and movable out of said notch when the filling becomes substantially exhausted to permit the feeler to partake of its side swipe movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ESQ SN OW. 

